The Congress party on Friday announced 45 more candidates for Telangana assembly seats in its second list with former cricketer Mohd Azharuddin bagging the nomination for the prestigious Jubilee Hills constituency.

In Secunderabad Cantonment, the party has fielded GV Venella, the daughter of revolutionary bard Gaddar, who died a few months ago. The party has nominated veteran leader Madhu Yakshi Goud from LB Nagar and Ponnam Prabhakar from Husnabad.

As anticipated, the party hoppers from BRS, Ponguleti Srinivas Rao and Tummala Nageshwar Rao bagged the nomination for Palair and Khammam constituencies respectively while Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, who rejoined from the BJP, will fight from Munugode.

The next leg of the Congress campaign will begin from tomorrow from Tandur in Telangana with state PCC president A Revanth Reddy and Congress Legislative party leader Bhatti Vikramarka touring 17 Assembly constituencies.

Party MP Rahul Gandhi and AICC member Priyanka Gandhi are expected to join them and promote the poll guarantees rolled out by the party. In this phase of the tour, constituencies including Chevella, Medak, Nagarkurnool, Nalgonda, Malkajgiri, Bhongir and Mahabubnagar will be covered through padayatra, street corner meetings and interactions with voters.

The Congress has also begun a grievance collection campaign by installing suggestion boxes in every party office across the state, with dedicated toll free number and a website where people can register their grievances. If voted to power, the party will set up a special redressal ministry to address the problems within 100 days.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today slammed the Congress, alleging that the party will stop welfare schemes and sops like farmers’ incentive scheme and free electricity for 24 hours. He also alleged that Tummala Nageshwar Rao, who ditched the BRS and joined the Congress, has actually cheated the people of Khammam district.

Although he was in charge of the party in Khammam for five years, the BRS did not win a single seat in 2018, said the Chief Minister. Tummala Nageshwar Rao is contesting from Palair as a Congress candidate. The BRS won just one seat in Khammam last time.

ECI transfers Collector and CP of Karimnagar

The ECI has transferred the Collector of Karimnagar B Gopi as well as Commissioner of Police L Subba Rayudu with immediate effect. They have been asked to hand over charge to the officer next below in rank in the district. They had taken charge only a few months back. The Election Commission has transferred 13 senior police officers and IAS officers posted in Excise, Transport and Commercial Taxes Departments after the election schedule was declared.